I used to think that idolatry and worship were synonymous until I read what the Bible says about idols. The Bible draws a distinct line between the two; idols are described as being ‘lifeless’ and having no power. Worship on the other hand is described totally different. There are different forms of worship and all yield good and miraculous results like intimacy between you and God or God making a promise until the end of time like He did in Genesis 8: 20-22.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” - Genesis 8: 20-22
Without Noah’s worship/ sacrificed burnt offerings, that promise may have never been made. We could have been flooded again because of our wickedness. It is so spectacular that God made such a promise because He will never get comfortable with sin. He made this promise knowing how much sin angers Him; the best words I have for this (which may fall short) are that He chose to suffer for us.
I know this does not encapsulate it properly if at all but think of going through something that once lead you to kill every day of every hour since Noah’s time. Sacrificial love…? Most of us humans would have to leave this situation because we would DEFINITELY kill. Every single time. Whoever made it in heaven made it- good for you guys. The rest on earth? Ctrl+Alt+del the ENTIRE PLANET but God is on the throne so none of what I just said will happen. God is a good indeed.
Hallelujah.
A vast army had come against Jehoshaphat, he had assigned men to sing to Adonai and praise Him; ‘as they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated’.
All of the people of Judah came from all towns to come seek the Lord with Jehoshaphat and they all fell down in worship before God after they heard His words through Jahaziel (this is before they set to go meet the vast army). Worship had been there from the very beginning until the very end, the place was named The Valley of Berakah. The place proclaims His glory in a way because of its name. Worship is such an interesting tool for warfare. Interesting because when people generally first come across the topic of worship, one of the first thoughts is ‘thanksgiving’ and He deserves it, will always deserve it.
"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.No harm, no good." - Jeremiah 10:5
Striking contrast between Yahweh and idols. Idols tend to be tangible, not all but the most common forms. Idolatry makes sense for the flesh because we were created to worship. If it is not God you worship, you will most likely worship something else or someone else. You are a worshipping being, WHO WILL YOU WORSHIP?
Isaiah 44: 12-20 "The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
"They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
All the things listed as what idols cannot do are what God can and does deliver on. He has an impeccable record of delivering His people, rescuing them, He understands the needs of His people and lastly He has power!
The folly of idolatry indeed…
There are different ways to worship God like singing, meditating on His word, prayer and my favourite - being a living sacrifice. It is my favourite and one of the hardest but it is amazing because before the second covenant, burnt offerings were the main sacrifices. These had to be done several times because they did not save completely or forever. Now we are to be living sacrifices for the rest of our days, we will not be consumed by the fire. Jesus says he hadn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfil it; he was the ultimate sacrifice that put an end to blood sacrifices because He saved completely. The principle of sacrifice to the Lord was not put to an end- living sacrifices. Same thing with the tabernacle, our bodies are the temple of the Lord and His Spirit lives in us (as He did in the tabernacle so He could be among His people and now He is within us). The law was not abolished and we can see how He still wants it to be fulfilled.
To the craftsmen who make these idols: People who do that will be put to shame; such craftsmen are only human beings.Let them all come together and take their stand;t hey will be brought down to terror and shame. - Isaiah. 44:11
Artists/ craftsmen should be careful with what they make with their hands and what their creations will be used for. Idolatry leads to many disastrous consequences, one of them being God’s wrath.
Let us all go search ourselves or ask God to search our hearts for any hidden sin/ idolatry and lead us to repentance so we may be together with Him and finish our race well.
Shalom.
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